Iconic Irish flour made from imported wheat claim Laois councillors

An iconic Irish flour brand begun and still based in Laois, is no longer using Irish wheat, Laois councillors have claimed.

Councillors are calling on the Government to subsidise and promote the domestic production of flour from native wheat. 

Laois County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Thomasina Connell tabled a motion, backed by her colleagues, which she says is to increase food security and reduce dependency on exports.

"Traditional Irish millers are dying off. We need to introduce a national milling drive to reduce our dependence on imports. We are importing wheat so even though it is milled in Ireland it is imported.

"I think people don't know that the product isn't from Ireland. I think people using this brand care about that. The reason I brought this motion is because I wasn't aware that Odlums are rejecting Irish wheat," Cllr Connell claimed, at the September meeting of Laois County Council.

Cllr PJ Kelly seconded her motion and is a grain grower.

He claimed that the Odlums company, which was founded in Portlaoise in 1845 and now has its only Irish mill in Portarlington, is importing wheat.

"I'm a producer of grain, mainly malt and barley for the drinks industry. I would have grown wheat. Odlums in Portarlington the main miller took in wheat but they don't take it locally any more. It is all imported. Smaller millers mainly mill oats. It is a crying shame that we have to import wheat. It happened with sugar and the same thing is happening with flour.

"A worker in Odlums told me that it is likely flour will get scarce if the Ukraine war continues.  We don't have an industry producing our own flour from our own wheat," Cllr Kelly said. 

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Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley recalled the panic buying of flour when the 'beast from the east' storm hit Ireland.

"In four days we were practically out of flour waiting on it to be imported. People were panic buying and couldn't get bread. The recent war in Ukraine shows how dependent we are on other countries to import wheat. It's time we start producing our own," she said.

Cllr Willie Aird recalled the Odlums mill in Portlaoise.

"I remember the weighbridge at Tower Hill. Grain was stored in the grainstores for Odlums. We should be very proud of producing our own flour. We are world reknowned for producing goods of the highest standard. It's very sad when you pick up a bag of Síucre sugar and it's probably bagged in England. I remember the Odlums flour lorry going around Portlaoise, everyone had their own delivery dates, like kegs of beer, flour going into every shop," he said.

Odlums have been contacted for comment. In 1845 the Odlums family started milling the finest quality wheat in their first flour mill in Portlaoise. In 2015, they invested over €1million in their Odlums mill in Portarlington, Co Laois for major upgrades to their manufacturing facilities.